Issue link: http://townofcary.uberflip.com/i/791946
W H AT 'S C H A N G E D Since the adoption of the Imagine Cary Community Plan, Cary has remained a premier community, using the vision and policies of Imagine Cary to stay at the top of the arc. However, like the rest of the world around us, Cary must continue to evolve. Cary's internal culture has focused on becoming "the local government that doesn't exist." We push ourselves to improve and challenge convention on how local governments should operate. We have embraced the adaptive leadership philosophy of Harvard Business School's Ronald Heifetz and Marty Linsky. This has enabled us to design effective teams led by individuals rather than hierarchical structures to promote meaningful and lasting change. Cary continues to build on its legacy of excellence, innovation, and exceptional service by empowering staff to solve problems of the future with forward-thinking collaboration. On Jan. 20, 2020, the world changed dramatically when the first COVID-19 case in the United States was reported in Washington. Cary would confirm its first case on Mar. 3. The pandemic had a profound impact on our community, altering our priorities and requiring us to adapt swiftly to new circumstances. Throughout the pandemic, we balanced the continuation of expected services with the safety of our citizens and staff. When we created Imagine Cary, we knew we would need to remain adaptive and nimble to succeed in a world where technologies and expectations were rapidly changing. We knew something would test us – as an organization, as a city, and as a country — but we didn't know how. And we didn't know it would be so soon. The COVID-19 pandemic posed a unique set of challenges, including closing facilities, maintaining service levels while allowing for social distancing, and creating protocols to keep our employees and citizens safe as we reopened. Yet, in the face of unprecedented challenges, the organization and Imagine Cary have demonstrated their resilience and adaptability. Never has it been more imperative that our plans remain relevant in an ever-changing landscape. Much of the vision of Imagine Cary is centered around the idea that Cary is redeveloping and that there will be an increase in development intensity in certain identified areas. Since adoption, this idea has become a reality with the development of places like Fenton, approvals in Alston close to Research Triangle Park, and of course the evolution of Cary's downtown. With the recent opening of Downtown Cary Park, there continues to be strong momentum in not only downtown but in all our destination centers. Cary's branding and marketing initiatives are essential to actualizing the Imagine Cary plan, keeping Cary competitive in a world that is constantly evolving in complex and unpredictable ways. Shortly after Imagine Cary was adopted, Cary unveiled and implemented a new logo and "Live Inspired" tagline. This new, more modern Cary brand provides a solid ground for our expanded marketing efforts, which have strategically increased in markets outside of North Carolina. By targeting key regional, national, and international audiences with a focus on economic development, we're attracting new opportunities for jobs, investments, and high-profile events. These efforts keep